
466 



T«2. 



4 
M 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Shelf...I.SA. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A COMMON SBNSB 
VIEW 



BLUE GRASS 



REGION 



NORTH MISSOURI 



WITH COMPLIMENTS OF 



O. C. TRICE & COMPANY, 

i 

BROOKFIELD, Mo. , | 



POPTRIOHTRD 



H. & ST. J. DEPOT, BROOKFIELD, MO. 




CONDENSED FACTS 



Qreat flatural State 





JEC 20 







BY DR. O. C. TRICE, 

GENERAL MANAGER OF AN IMMIGRATION COMPANY 
OF NORTH MISSOURI. 



DI'.DICATION. 

TO UONEST I'AKMKliS; TllXilU ,S()\S ANU DAL'iillTEliS, AND TO OTHKKS WUO 

MAY J;E anxious to lvNt)W THE EXACT TltUTil AXU UETTEU 

TllEIK CONDITIONS, THE KOLI.OWINCi I'ACTS AUE 

MOijT CIIEEIU^L'LLV 1>EUICATEU. 



Our l^im. 



In writing a short account of North Missouri and our 
county, it will be my greatest endeavor to state simple and 
plain truths, neither overestimating or underating, especially 
the former, which is so frequently done by over-anxious, un- 
reliable real estate men. The man who over-praises and 
makes false statements about his property or country, is not 
only untrustworthy, but very unwise, for when parties spend 
their money and time to be sorely disappointed, they not 
only feel indignant and dissatisfied, but cause others to feel 
likewise, thus damaging himself and business. This is why 
some real estate men are unsuccessful. Justice demands of 
every good citizen to do all in his power to encourage honor- 
able men and denounce in strongest terms those who are not 
just and honorable in their business. Common sense will be 
my theme, and it is a sure and safe guide to any and all, 
whether or not they occupy a high or low position, or whether 
laborers or retired capitalists. 

No class of people have more good common sense than 
the farmer, yet none so shamefully neglect their intellect — 
toiling from early day till dark without ever pausing to read 
or think, whether or not they could better their condition by 
traveling or making exchanges of some kind. The successful 
business man goes from town to town and from city to city, 
to see if he can better his condition. Why not the farmer? 
Some of them seem to think other men make a living by their 
brain but they must make theirs with their muscle, which is 
a very serious mistake. Farmers should read more, see 
more, travel more, and think more, whether or not they can 
better themselves. To those whom these lines may reach I 
appeal to you to stop, reflect and think, not continue to 
worry over your past ways and mistakes, but be careful not 
to repeat them or stay in the same old rut. Pull out, make a 
change, take a new lease on life, create new ideas, new 
energy, be a success; say good bye to the past and try to lift 
the veil of the future and see the grand ana wonderful op- 
portunities which beautiful nature offers to those who are 
willing to take hold with energy and pluck. She stands out 
in all her sublimity with her past records as a sure guarantee 
to all whosoever will may partake of the blessings. 



Co(;at:i09. 



The first question that naturally arises when speaking 
of a subject is, what is it and where is it? Missouri is well 
known and is centrally located in our grand union of states. 
Bounded on the north, by Iowa, east, by Illinois, Kentucky 
and Tennessee, south, by Arkansas and west, by Indian Ter- 
ritory, Kansas and Nebraska, between latitude 36 deg. and 40 
deg. 30 sec. North and longitude 89 deg. 2 min. and 95 deg. 42 
min. West. 227 miles from north to soutli, average breadth 
about 244 miles, varying from 208 in north to 312 in south, 
area 65,350 square miles. 

Her central, location is not only a benefit, socially and 
financially, but an extra advantage. in the climate, as it is a 
medium climate and suits everybody that lives here, as all 
are contented, working in harmony with each other. We 
know nothing of the northern blizzards, where lives are con- 
stantly in danger, nor of the unbearable heat of the South, 
breeding germs of malaria and yellow fever, nor of the damp 
chilly winds of the east or west, like some sefctions of Cali- 
fornia, where it rains not only days, but weeks, without clear 
weather. It is true that we sometimes have a few cold and 
hot days, but on the average the uniformity of our climate is 
hard to excel. Whoever saw a more beautiful autumn than 
ours; delightful mild weather, enabling farmers to harvest 
their products without loss or damage. 

WHY HOME SEEKERS HAVE PASSED OVER MISSOURI IN SEARCH 
FOR HOMES. 

There are several reasons why this is true : 

1. The free land the government has been gving away 
in the western states to home seekers and selling at SI. 25 per 
acre has been a great inducement to get homes for nothing, 
yet I believe the reader will agree with me that the party 
who expects to get something for nothing is cheated, and in 
much worse condition than those who paid a good price for 
a good thing. This is not only so in land, but in merchandise 
in general, the best is usually the cheapest in the end. 

2. Because railroad companies have gone to western 
states and through their shrewd scheming have induced town- 
ships and counties to give bonds for almost enough to build 
their roads, then buying up thousands of acres of cheap land, 
have offered all manner of inducements to get people to go 
out and buy their land; selling excursion tickets, spending 
thousands of dollars in scattering flowery advertisements 
abroad. Why do these companies refuse to sell excursion 
tickets to Missouri and return? It needs no answer; they are 
sharp, they know it would not do for them to stop, for if they 
did, they would stay. For the same reason loan companies 
having to foreclose" their mortgages on thousands of acres, 
are necessarily compelled to induce people to settle on their 
lands and thus protect their interest. 

3. Because the people here, as a rule, are contented and 
satisfied and will not spend money or time to induce people 
to come. 

4. Because of the prejudice whicli existed some years 
ago, owing to a political hatred during the late rebellion, 



which happily has all died away. But no state in the Union 
has been so grossly misrepresented and maligned as Missouri. 
It is with pleasure we chronicle the fact that these things 
exist no more. 

This is an age of progress, an age of enlightment; sen- 
sible men no longer allow their instinct to control their high- 
er faculties, thus dwarfing and crippling not only their future 
prospects, but those of their children. 

It is natural and right for one to have a good regard for 
his native land or home, yet a conservative writer in record- 
ing facts of his country ought not allow affections to blind 
the truth, but write correctly, whether in favor or against. 
It will be the writers intention to so write about North 
Missouri and Linn county, that when practical men come to 
investigate they will not only find it true, but be delighted 
with their expectations. Referring the readers back to my 
text of "common sense," will say, that wherever a thing or a 
fact exists there is a reason, and when I write (what 
may seem to you at first a very unreasonable assertion) that 

THE WOMB OF NATURE 

has lavished and favored the State of Missouri more than 
any other country in the world, I do so with full knowledge 
of the broadness of the declaration. Other states may, and 
do excel in some particular line, but where is there a state 
you could build a Chinese wall around, and it would be self- 
supporting? -none but grand old Missouri. What a wonder- 
ful combination of resources blessed nature has bestowed so 
abundently upon her. Astounding to think of, yet true. A 
combination, the mass of the world knows nothing of, and the 
majority of her own citizens fail to fully appreciate— 44, 425,- 
600 broad acres, consisting of vast fertile prairies, stately 
forest, blue grass pastures and running streams, presenting 
one sublime landscape not to be seen elsewhere, producing 
in superabundance eveiy article used in civilization or for 
the use of mankind. Not only on her surface and soil has 
nature blessed her, but within her rugged mountains she has 
secreted inexhaustable rich mines of iron, lead, zinc, tin, 
kaoline, coal, sand, stone and granite. In fact, she is fast 

BECOMING THE SUPPLY DEPOT OF THE WORLD. It is impos- 
sible to speculate upon the limits of her mineral deposits; 
untold ages will not be able to solve that question, no mat- 
ter how fast the wants of man draw upon her resources. The 
Iron Mountains are the largest and purest on earth. Missouri 
without doubt produces more lead than all other states com- 
bined. Zinc, nearly if not equally as much. The whole 
country is underlaid with coal. To farmers who desire a per- 
manent home, or to capitalists who wish to speculate in a land 
of plenty and culture in the center of civilization, amidst the 
highways of commerce, to you this is the place to come. You 
will not find dollars on trees, or the luxuries of life given to 
you; but you will find a country where industry and energy 
receives its sure and rich reward, and judicious investments 
will bring a handsome profit, and once accumulated you need 
not fear their destruction by the blizzards of the North, nor 
your grain and grasses be shriveled by the hot winds of the 
sun parched, bald prairies of the distant West. Missouri is 
changing from a local to a national importance. She fur- 
nishes a variety of soil and subsoil which is of the most pro- 



ductive kind, varying in depth in different parts of the state 
from one to six feet, divided into timber, prairie, upland and 
bottom. The prairie soils, especially of North Missouri, are 
of a black, ricli loam, with a red clay subsoil. The timber 
soil, to a stranger, would seem at first not so rich, owing to 
its lighter color, and in some places the clay is nearer the 
top, but this is very strong and productive soil, raising better 
wheat and grass than the prairie soil. 

Nature greatly assisted her with transportations. The 
great Mississippi extending along the entire Eastern border, 
joined by the Missouri, which forms one-half her Western 
border, then intersecting the state near the center. The 
waters of these two rivers form an easy and cheap way of 
carrying on commerce with her sister states, also, furnishing 
an outlet to New Orleans, the Gulf and Ocean. Thus not be- 
ing cut off from the commerce of the old world, should the 
railroads ever be checked for a short time. 

^Slimate. 

In selecting a home there are many things to be taken in- 
to consideration, but none so important as climate; for climate 
is the corner stone of health, and without health it is impos- 
sible to flourish, be prosperous or happy. Does a man feel 
like work when he lives in a country where the very atmos- 
phere he breathes is pregnant with malaria and other poison- 
ous germs seeking to stupify and deaden his ambition? caus- 
ing him to think life a burden, lose his energy, become peev- 
ish and dissatisfied with everything and everybody, occas- 
sionally taken down with a long siege of fever. Oh, if we 
were but familiar with the hidden causes brought about by 
different climates, breeding life destroying germs seeking 
admittance into the system through various channels with- 
out knowledge or permission of the unsuspecting and inno- 
cent individuals, who have the poisons to battle against. 
At times they are successful, and again are compelled to 
submit to the inevitable and all conquering destroyer, and 
be forced to part with a loving wife, a kind parent, confiding 
daiTghter, a promising son or a true friend, all from the result 
of an impure Climate. I say if we only knew these causes 
we would, after leaving our cheerful and healthy homes, be 
more lenient in our criticism with those more unfortunate 
people we meet who seemingly are very disagreeable and 
cross, but in reality are suffering with neuralgia, rheumatism 
or some other disease caused by climatic influence. Missouri 
being located centrally, making a uniform and even climate, 
going to neither extreme, gives her far superior advantages 
over some other states. ?Ier altitude above the level of the 
sea is sufficient to cause a dry, pure air, free from the injuri- 
ous bacteria which ?^re so prevalent in more Southern states. 

Another important reason why this is such a healthy 
country is the natural dra,inage of the land. Those Avho are 
conversant with the rules of sanitarians in regulating the 
drainage of large cities will at once appreciate the advant- 
age nature has given North Missouri with her gently rolling- 
lands and abundant water courses, forming a natural drainage, 
which for its excellency and purity the genius of man can 



not equal. In Northern Missouri, and especially Linn county, 
there are running streams from North to South not further 
apart than three miles, and in many places in one mile of 
each other. These streams furnish running water the year 
around, making it very advantageous to farmers and stock- 
raisers. Thus proving a great benefit, financially and phys- 
ically, furnishing natural avenues for the waste and decaying 
vegetable products to be floated away as is always done after 
a shower of rain, leaving the earth freshly washed with the 
dews of heaven; fragrant with the sweet odors of the newly 
blooming flowers and shrubs, making one feel cheerful and 
X'obust, fully realizing that life is worth living, and it is well 
to be here. 

When people move here from the level, flat table lands of 
Illinois, or the low lands of the South, it is then and not until 
then they env;<^ us our soil and our climate. Think of a 
country where it is level for miles and miles without drain- 
age, the water standing on the ground awaiting the rays of 
the hot sun to lift it from its watery bed, while it tarries 
to mould and rot the grain of the field and the vegetable 
products of mother earth, sowing the seeds of disease and 
discontent. Who has not met the Illinoian who relates the 
doleful fact of having chills for six months without a rest. 
The writer is familiar with the subject and from his own per- 
sonal knowledge and by inquiry of medical men he has not 
seen or heard of a regular old ague chill during the last seven 
years. Neither is there any other kind of sickness Postered 
or fed here either by climate or soil or our habits; being 
extremely healthy, as our doctors all know to their detri- 
ment. There is not a physician in the countiy who has ac- 
cumulated any money out of his practice. The majority af- 
ter years of practice have nothing more than a house and lot, 
and perchance a team to show for their reward. 

These facts present an invitation to the emigrant which 
he cannot afford to pass by, as it is well worth consideration. 



Blue drass. 



The reader will notice that scarcely an article on any 
subject can be written by a Missourian concerning his state, 
without inspiring him with the utmost reverence which he 
owes to his God for allowing wonderful nature to so liber- 
ally bestow upon her the richest gifts of any country in the 
world. While we are willing to bow in gratitude to His 
goodness for all of these great things which we think are 
enough to entitle our state to a different name, and instead 
of calling her the State of Missouri, it would be more appro- 
priate to call her 

THE GREAT NATURAL STATE. 

There are many things we are proud of and thankful for. 
However, none merit our gratitude and thanks so much as 
the spontaneous and marvelous production of 

BLUB GRASS, 

King of Grasses—nutritious, never failing, delicious, all con- 
quering giant of the vegetable kingdom, ever eating and 
spreading its way from stream to hill top, making better 
pasture on hills than in the valleys and level lands, con- 



stituting the most excellent food ever eaten by an animal, 
either domestic or wild, preparing them for the wheels of 
commerce, withont one single grain of other food. Desti'oy- 
ing the wild grasses and other vegetable products as soon as 
the soil is tramped, thus eating its way in the virgin soil, as a 
cancer does in the human flesh, untiring, never ceasing, until 
the battle is won and the victim is hers. Tenacious, most 
exquisite grand old blue grass, we are proud to call you ours. 
Perchance some reader may think I have overdrawn this, and 
have been indulging and soaring in an imaginary field, or an 
extremist on the subject. For the benefit of those who may 
possibly arrive at tliis conclusion, I submit the two following- 
affidavits of two of the most reliable men we have. Men of 
experience, men of standing and men of wealth, and if 
space would permit, could add two hundred#more, substanti- 
ating the same facts, but will make these suffice : 

Brookfield, Mo., Sept. 29. 1889. 

Newton Long, of lawful age, having been duly sworn, 
says: I am a farmer by trade, having lived here since 1855. 
My farm now consists of about thirty-six hundred acres. 
Have been interested in tlie raising of stock. I never feed 
my younger horses and mules in winter or summer, as they do 
well on the blue grass pasture, which remains green and very 
nutritious the whole year, and never fails. I now own about 
700 cattle, 125 horses and mules. I have meadow which was 
sown in 1858, and is now better than ever, and believe would 
make two tons to the acre. Blue grass has gi*own 6^^ feet, 
averaging waist high, and in my opinion, one acre of blue 
grass is worth more to a farmer than one acre of corn. My 
corn has made seventy bushels to the acre. 

Newton Long. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 26th day of 
September, 1889. Andrew A. Bailey, 

Notary Public, Linn County, Mo. 

My commission as notary, expires August 10, 1890. 

Brookfield, Mo., Oct. 10, 1889. 

J. L. Riddell, of lawful age, having been duly sworn, 
says: I am a farmer by trade. Have lived here 30 years. 
My farm has consisted of one thousand acres. I was raised 
in Kentucky, and in my opinion, blue grass does as well here 
as in Kentucky, provided the care is shown it. 

J. L. Riddell. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 10th day of 

October, 1889. Andrew A. Bailey, 

'i^ ( Notary Public, Linn county, Mo. 

My commission as notary expires August 30, 1890. 

Weighing these facts carefully and thoughtfully together, 
are we not justified in becoming enthusiastic in our praise ? 
Just think of nature feeding your stock the whole year with- 
out a plow or reaper, and without labor or money. Wonder- 
ful! yes wonderful! but true. If the reader would go whei'C 
the writer has been, tlirough the Northern and Eastern states, 
and find stock raisers, early in the fall, feeding their herds 
grain, which was obtained by toil and sweat; or if he will go 
with me further, onto the bald barren prairies of the west, 
where the hot winds deaden the grasses and shrivel the 



< SEAL i 



SEAL 



grain, causing farmers (to my personal knowledge) to com- 
mence feeding their cattle tlie last of July and August, and 
that Avithout any thing larger than a wild sunflower tor a 
shade or a wind-break. I say if he will do this, and after 
journeying over different states, return with me in December, 
and find stock of all kind thriving and doing nicely without 
feed, except that which nature has so bountifully carpeted the 
eartii— the fattening blue grass, then he would see our 
reasons for being jubilant. No more would he doubt us, or 
blame us for our words of praise. No more would he wonder 
why it was tliat a Missouri farmer could start in life with so 
little, and accurinilate so rapidly, while in some other states, 
the average farmer was not positive of but one thing, and 
that Avas a mortgage; not only his farm, but on his stock and 
household goods. Come to the blue grass region of Missouri, 
and leave behind you your chattel mortgages, for you will 
not need them here. 

CLOVER. 

Next to blue grass in value, are the red and white clovers, 
which do equally as well in the same kind of soil. The red 
clover is usually sown in spring with oats. After reaping the 
oat harvest the clover makes the best of fall pastures, next 
year producing heavy crops. When mowed early, makes the 
second crop, which can be used for seed as they always de- 
mand good prices. The second crop is ahvays the finest of 
fall pasture, which the farmers take the advantage of^ and 
pasture them while the blue grass is growing up for winter. 
But one of the principal benefits derived from red clover, 
aside from pasture and feeding purposes, is its enriching 
qualities. It is positively one of the best fertilizers to our 
soil we have. One or two crops are equal to a coat of manure. 
After several crops have been raised, a great many farmers 
plow it up and put in corn, and thus change around, keeping 
all the ground well mulched after one crop of corn, if so de- 
sire, and if the ground is not molestdany more, the clover will 
again grow up without sov/ing and make a good stand. 

White clover is a more of an indigenous growth, spring- 
ing up eveiy where, in the woods and on the prairie, inter- 
mingling Avith blue grass, making one of the best pastures for 
cattle known; but some seasons of the year horses do not do 
so Avell on it as they do on red clover. Stock men claim it Avlll 
put more actual fat on cattle than anything else. It con- 
tinues to be good, growing from early spring until late in the 
fall, surpassing any other country in its supply, being univer- 
sal in the holloAvs, "along the Avater lines, over the hills and in 
the public higliAvays. The I)lossoms furnish a rich field for 
the wild and tame bees to abstract and store aAvay the finest 
honey that ever satisfied the saccharine hunger of man. The 
honey Avhich is made from Avhite cloA^er needs no comments 
to those who have only iiad a chance to test it, and it fully 
contents nature's keenest appetite without the least fear of 
it effecting him in any manner Avhatsoever. The blossom of 
the red cloA^er is also utilized by the little industrious bee, 
but it does not make as nice or as good honey as the white 
cloA'cr, Avhich makes a beautiful clear honey, both pleasing to 



9 

the eye and palate. Truly, this is the "laud of milk aud 
honey." The continuous bloom of white clover from early 
summer to winter, makes it far superior for the busy bee, 
than any other of nature's sweetest blossoms. 

TIMOTHY. 

Timothy like her three sisters of the tame grass family, 
blue grass, red and white clover, does remarkably well, yield- 
ing large returns, making a profitable investment for land 
owners, as it is a sure crop and is matured without trouble or 
expense during harvest time, when labor is cheap, as crops 
requiring work are finished, except for nature to complete 
what the farmer has commenced. The average yield of 
timothy is from one to two tons to the acre, sometimes as 
high as three tons, and when mixed with red clover, in some 
cases makes as high as four tons per acre, and readily sells, 
varying in price in different seasons, from five to twelve 
dollars a ton. Timothy and clover does well mixed, and a 
great many of our meadows are this kind, being abetter food 
for stock in general, than timothy alone, furnishing most ex- 
cellent pasture during the summer and fall seasons, lasting 
into December. Some land owners and speculators never 
allow their lands cultivated after once seeded down to the 
tame grasses, but keep them for hay and pasture, which as 
stated before concerning clover, they fertilize the ground 
equal to a coat of manure. After enriching one part of the 
farm for a few years, by keeping it in tame grasses and 
pasture, the business farmer exchanges and seeds his plow 
land down, and puts his meadow into corn and other grain; 
by this good management he keeps all of his farm in the best 
of condition, and as rich, if not richer than new land, thus 
enabling him to raise good crops every year, which seems to 
be unexplainable to farmers in sonie of the more distant 
states, who know very little, if anything, about the value of 
our tame grasses, the beneficial effect they have on our soil, 
or the great value they are to our farmers and stock raisers. 
Our wealthiest farmers are those who have used their lands 
mostly for pasture and hay; commencing in the spring with 
their herds on the blue grass pasture, allowing them to graze 
this until July. When clover and timothy meadows have been 
reaped and usually put up in ricks on the ground in the field 
from which it was harvested, it can be easily fed out in 
winter over ground, being a special benefit to both meadow 
and ground. Only a light fence, which costs practically noth- 
ing here. Everything is grown on or near the land; then 
the stock is tvirned in on the meadows, which grow abundantly 
and very rapidly after they are mown, furnishing 
splendid pasture until late in November, and frequently until 
Christmas, at which time the blue grass has made its second 
growth, about knee high, very thick, green and nutritious, 
falling over on the ground, constituting one of the grandest 
sights ever viewed by the human eye. Just think of it, while 
in some of our sister states every thing has been dry and dead 
for three months or more ; our hills and valleys are carpeted 
with nature's favorite, and hero of the earth's products — 
beautiful blue grass — gently wavering over the land with her 
delicious and tempting green blades, ever inviting the three 
and four-year-old bo vines and the entire herbivorous animal 
kingdom to come forth, partake of her freely, and supply 



10 

their keen appetities from her store houses of unequalled 
nutriment. At tliat time is when the stock is turned from the 
meadows which liave ceased to be of value until the next 
spring. Thougii incredible as it may seem to those who never 
witnessed it. Horses, mules and sheep do nicely even when 
the ground is covered with snow. They paw away the snow 
and graze just the same as the wild horses do in the far west. 
In order to show the reader the advantage one has who owns 
land and does not wish to farm it himself or hire it done, I 
insert the following sworn statements of experienced and 
strictly reliable men: 

Brookfield, Mo., Oct. 18, 1889. 
R. J. Wheeler, of lawful age, having been duly sworn, 
says: — I have lived here twenty- eight years, have owned 
neai'ly four thousand acres of land. Have pastured my own 
and other men's stock on niy blue grass pasture. In my 
opinion one acre of good blue grass will graze from one to 
three head of cattle. Hogs and sheep do remarkably well 
on clover and blue grass. Hogs fatten without other grain 
and sheep graze nearly the whole year. This is a fine county 
for farmers and stock raisers, and good opportunities for 
speculators to invest in land, as there is always demand for 
the renting of good pasture land. R. J. Wheeler. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of 
(——J October, 1889. A. A. Bailey, 

j^^j Notary Public. 

Brookfield, Mo., Oct. 16, 1889. 
Sam Burch, of lawful age, having been duly sworn, says: 
I am a farmer by trade, and own about five hundred acres of 
land. Have lived here twenty-three years, and never had a 
failure in crops. I rent blue grass pasture every year, and 
pay from fifty to seventy-five cents a month for each head 
of cattle. Pasture seasons last until the middle of November, 
and sometimes longer. Sam Burch. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 16th day of 
[--^--1 October, 1889. A. A. Bailey, 

I^AL^ Notary Public. 

The annual hay crop of Missouri amounts to from 350.- 
000,000 to 400,000,000 dollars. All the grasses do well, but 
principal ones have been mentioned. Orchard grass is akin 
to blue grass, but not so valuable. Alfalfa is very excessive in 
its growth, producing the second crop same as clover. Millet 
is very good feed for cattle, and does elegantly well in this 
soil; stock seems to relish it better than any other kind of 
hay during the winter. Redtop is another one of the indi- 
genuous grasses which takes to the soil and makes good hay 
for stock, but does not yield near so much to the acre as 
timothy. To the farmers wlio live in nothing but a grain 
countrj', we invite you to our theme of common sense, and 
ask you to reflect and figure with us. Why walk 1328 miles 
to plow and plant, cultivate and crib 40 acres of corn that 
will not average over 30 or 40 bushels to the acre, at 20 cents 
a bushel, resulting in rewarding you $240 to $320 for 40 acres, 
v/hen 40 acres of good timothy will yield you without culti- 
vation, 40 to 80 ton, averaging 60 ton, at from five to eight 
dollars a ton, (sometimes higher) resulting in a reward of 
from $300 to $640, saying nothing about your worn out horses, 



11 

and the wear and tear of plows and planters and other 
machinery, and building of grainaries, all of which are not 
to be compared with your own labor, or if you will seed it down 
to blue grass or rather let blue grass take possession of it, and 
see what it v/ill bring you according to the sworn statements of 
the above gentlemen. One acre will pasture from one to three 
head for which owners receive fi'om 50 to 75 cents per head a 
month, resulting in a handsome profit from 50 cents to $2.00 
a month per acre for use of pasture, being at least 8 months 
of pasturage, amounting to the sum of from $160 to $480 for 
the rent of the 40 acres, surpassing the 40 acres in corn with- 
out a plow, or a machine, or a grainery, or sweat and toil, no 
wind storms to damage it, no insects to check its growth, no 
risks to run in raising it, nothing to fear and nothing to do 
except to await the heavenly rains and sunshine, and it is 
yours. 



5toeK F{ai5l9(5. 



stock raising is so closely connected with the foregoing 
chapter that the judicial farmer can not separate one from 
the other without a great detriment to his financial success. 
But he who considers them as the Siamese twins, putting them 
side by side, hand in hand, never separating, is the wise man, 
and the one who usually has bank accounts and receives the 
greatest reward for his investment and labor. After the 
reader has made a careful perusal of the previous pages with 
calm thought it will not be necessarj' to dwell very exten- 
sively in presenting either argument or figures to convince 
the man with ordinary intellect that our state is far superior 
to any of her sisters in the rearing of stock, as every farmer 
who has moved here will honestly testify to, as there is not 
one but what participates more or less in this pleasant and 
profitable business, which has made several of our immediate 
neighbors immensely rich by combining tlie two great natures, 
grass and stock. In fact, I believe that investigation will 
substantiate my assertion when I say we have some of the 
wealthiest farmers of any state in the Union, not counting 
what was handed down as legacy's from forefathers, but what 
they accumulated from their own resources, starting almost 
without anything, now possessing their fine farms and homes 
and bank accounts, some reaching one half million or more, 
and it is a common occurrence to find them worth from fif- 
teen to fifty thousand. Some of the eastern and older states 
may have more wealth, but if so, it has been inherited by the 
present generation and not made. Our markets are finely 
situated in the center of commerce, with the best facilities 
for transportation either by water or rail to the most impor- 
tant cities, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Memphis, New 
Orleans and thence to Liverpool. She is near to the consum- 
ing centers and surrounded by the most celebrated stock 
markets in the country. The undulating soil, the climate, is 
very conducive to the health of animals, they being almost 
entirely free from the contagious diseases which are more 
prevalent in some of the other states. They do not do so 
well on fiat, level lands, but readily take to the hills and roll- 
ing land where the grass, after being freed from its impurities 



12 

from rains, is sweeter and healthier than tliat where all the 
filth remains on the ground, impregnating the surrounding 
atmosphere with poisonous germs, making the food unwhole- 
some, thus sowing seed to rijien into disease and destruction. 
Beautiful groves of trees waving as a protection from wind 
and storm. These groves are interspersed all over the coun- 
try along the water courses bordering on the fertile prairies, 
presenting the grandest natural pastures in the world for the 
fattening of cattle and hogs, for one -half the price they can 
in adjoining states, and sheep for one -third. To those who 
are not accustomed to rolling land, at first sight woiild form 
an unfavorable opinion, but after understanding their full 
value they will at once see their mistake and adopt them- 
selves as others do to the surroundings, which are by no 
means rough, but in places gently rolling. Our grade of stock 
in every department are much 'better than in former times. 
Many of our stock men handle nothing but thoroughbreds 
and imported stock. No more can you find among the herds 
the common or scrub cattle, their places have been filled 
principally by the Short Horn Durham, Hereford, Polled 
Aberdeen Angus, Jersey, Holstein, Devonshire, &c. Short 
Horns predominate the others about in number as mentioned. 
However, the Polled Aberdeen Angus is rapidly coming into 
demand. The three first mentioned are raised more for beef, 
while the Jersey's and Holstein's are used more for butter 
and milk. The success of dairying in Missouri has been fully 
tested. The finest kind of yellow butter is made the year 
around, milk butter and cheese are produced without but 
vfery little labor or cost. This country possesses all the 
natural advantages of New York as a region successful to the 
dairy business and her markets are certainly a*s good, for she 
is crossed and intercrossed with main lines of railroads from 
east to west and north to south, reaching out west into the 
Rockies where the dairy business is- not carried on very ex- 
tensively. No line of stock has improved so rapidly as the 
blooded horses. The older settlers thought if a stallion cost 
$150 to ^250 he Avas an extra horse. Not so now, for it is very 
common here to have imported horses that cost from two to 
three thousand dollars. All the work horses are of a higher 
grade. The strain of horses most common are Clydesdales, 
Shire, Norman and Morgan, these are used principally for 
farm and draft purposes. Hambeltonian's, Patchen's, Mem- 
brino's Bashaws' Glenco's and Denmark's and various strains 
used as trotters and roadsters. Strangers comment upon the 
appearance of our teams. Old Kentuckymay well be jealous 
of her world-wide fame for raising fine horses when she ob- 
serves the progress Miesouri is making in trying to equal her 
eastern sister in the strife to produce the finest hot bloods 
and there is no reason why Missouri can not equal, if not sur- 
pass her in this line. Sheep, swine and other domestic ani- 
mals have kept abreast with the times. Merino's and South- 
down's are among the principal variety of sheep. 

WOOL GROWING. 

Missouri needs no arguments in favor of her advantages 
as a wool growing state, it is so closely connected with the 
progress of the state that even a brief account of the state 
could not be given without mentioning the wool growing and 
manufacturing business, which she is by no means ashamed 



13 

of, but on the contrary it has proven very remunerative to 
those who have made it a business, while our undulating land 
is good for all kinds of grazing it is especially so with sheep, 
as they will not do well on level land, for they Avill not re- 
graze over the same ground until after a shower of rain and 
the earth and grass is freed from their unnatural odor pecu- 
liar to the sheep. They graze in wooded pastures where 
there is underbrush, picking the leaves, etc., like hogs, seem 
to do much better than on prairies. Poian China hogs are 
the most prevalent, the Berkshire is next, Essex and Ches- 
ter are about equal. Red Jerseys are gaining. Hogs do re- 
markably well here on blue grass and clover pasture, roam- 
ing around, multiplying and growing without care off of 
acorns and other wild nuts, bringing in good profits and quick 
returns to the owner. 



f\(^riQu\ture, 



Missouri is necessarially an agricultural state. The pres- 
ent record, although brilliant in itself, is only a symptom of 
her future greatness, notwitlistanding she now ranks among 
the foremost states in the production of the staple cereals 
in amount and value. El very year brings more land under 
the plow Vv'hich is made to yield only a small proportion of 
wheat it is capable of yielding, owing to the unthorough cul- 
tivation it receives from those who seem to be satisfied with 
results without extra labor, as it is much better than they 
have been in the habit of raising in their former homes. 
These facts in connection wi^h the knowledge that a great 
many large bodies are owned by individuals who never 
utilize more than one half of it, readily explains why Mis- 
soure has not reached one half of her capacity for produc- 
tion. She is bound to become the leading agricultural state. 
In location, variety of soil, nearness to market and consum- 
ing centers, she has a brilliant future. 

PRODUCTS. 

All the grains and fruit do well here, and perhaps there 
is no country in the world where the versatility of the soil 
will permit so many different kinds of vegetable, fruits, and 
grains to reach so high a perfection as this state. Dividing 
her with a line reaching from Hannibal on the East to the 
South West corner of the state. All West and North of this 
line fairly represents the agricultural land, and those to the 
South ajid East, the broken parts, noted for her wealty beds 
of secreted minerals— except the surface which is adopted to 
grazing purposes, and occasionally interspersed with rich 
farming lands. 

An agricultui'al country without natural grass would be 
equivalent to a brick structure without foundation — notwith- 
standing its apparent beauty it can never be depended upon. 
It woukl only be a v/aste of time to again refer to our grasses 
and hogs, so will introduce the reader to the king of the grain 
products, 

CORN. 
The total corn yield for the United States in 1887, was 
1,45G,1G1,000 bushels, making a market value of $646,106,770; 



14 

the farmers of Missouri furnishing 140,949,000 bushels, for 
which they received the rich reward of $52,151,000 as their 
share of the profits of this crop, and this was not the lai'gest 
yield, having been surpassed several times and will be this 
j^ear as latest reports show her to be the second corn state in 
the union, low^a being first. 

Indian corn is certainly at home here. It grows abund- 
antly. On good ground corn easily obtains 70 or 80 bushels 
to the acre if proj^erly cultivated, and in some cases making 
as high as 100 bushels to the acre. Considering the state as a 
whole, an average of 40 bushels per acre, and is about the 
correct estimate. It is easily raised and a sure crop, never 
failing. Corn can be harvested any time in the fall or winter 
whenever the farmer is at leisure, saving expense of hiring 
help, as our falls are so mild that most of the corn is cribed 
before the first sign of winter. The following is a table of 
the corn crop, in eight leading corn states, for the year 1887: 

XO. BUSHELS. VALUATION. 

Iowa is:^,r.02,ooo $ 64,22ri,7()(i 

ininols 141,080,000 57,842,800 

MISSOURI 140,949,000 53,151,000 

Nebraska !«,150,000 27,945,000 

Kansas :. 76,547,000 28,822,300 

Texas 76,4!tO,00O 39,009,900 

Tennessee 75,20s,ooo 37,602,000 

Ohio 73,797,000 35,422,000 

The above table shows that Missouri is third in quantity 
and valuation in the great corn growing states in the union, 
averaging per acre with Iowa and surpassing that of Illinois. 

Missouri's next principal production is 

WHEAT. 

She yields more per acre than any of the other leading 
wheat states, as the following table of the eight states, for 
1887, clearly demonstrates: 

NO. BUSHELS. VALUATION. 

Indiana -37,828,000 $ 27,236,000 

Illinois '. 36,861,000 25,802,000 

Minnesota 30,299,000 21,416,000 

MLSSOIIKI 37,744,000 17,301,000 

Iowa 26,837,000 16,370,000 

Michigan 21,672,000 ...; 16,037,O00 

Nebraska 10,585,000 s,79o,ooo 

AVlSCOnsln 13,069,000 8,360,000 

Michigan, Indiana, and Missouri bring the same number 
of dollars per acre, but her yield was three bushels more per 
acre than any of the remaining states except Illinois, which 
only fell behind one bushel per acre. 

The wheat raised here is of the very best quality, and 
much in demand, both in home and foreign markets. Tim- 
bered soil is much more favorable to wheat than the prairies, 
and those who drill their Avheat into oat or millet stubble in 
the fall without breaking the ground, reap the largest crops. 
These stubbles act as protection to the roots, besides the 
ground is not so loose as to allow the wind to blow the dirt 
away from the little ridges, as it does when drilled in mellow 
ground. The writer speaks from personal knowledge and 
experience. There are many acres of the best kind of wheat 
land yet unturned, which if cultivated with the same care 
and mulching as some of the old Eastern states, it would pro- 
duce, at least, twice as much as they do. 



16 
OATS. 

Oats also do well; the annual crop is about 25,000,000 
bushels. Nearly every farmer sows enough for home use and 
usually have soine for the market. Oats make the best hog 
pasture, and after being grazed off they grow up sometimes 
the second time and make good feed. 

RYE. 

Rye is sown here both for bread and for pasture for hogs; 
it takes somewhat after the nature of clover, being a great 
fertelizer of the soil, preparing the ground for immense 
crops of corn. 

BUCKWHEAT. 

Buckwheat is sown for bread and for the blossoms which 
are late for the bees, as the honey made from buckwheat is 
much sought after by dealers. 

Sugarcane always does well here, and the timbered soils 
are very rich in the production of tobacco, which is very 
porfitable to those who make it a business. In fact, potatoes 
and all other kinds of vegetables does as well here as any 
other place on the globe. 



pruits. 



No place has kind nature been more generous with her 
gifts to Missouri, than with the liberal distribution of her 
rich varieties of fruit, which thrive everywhere, making 
the most pleasant as well as the most appropriate food for the 
human system. Not enough fruit is eaten; too many depend 
entirely upon meats and breads; in some states going almost, 
if not the entire year, subsisting on the stronger foods, of 
meats, etc. If there was more fruits and less meat eaten, 
there would be more health and less stupidity imd sickness. 
This is one among many reasons why Missouri has acquired a 
reputation of being one of the healthiest states in the union; 
owing to an inexhaustible supply of delicious, healthy fruit, 
affording a cheap as well as beneficial way of furnishing the 
table Avitli good nerve, muscle and bone makiiig food, grow- 
ing in ample sufficiency to supply every family both winter 
and summer with all they could possibly consume, and that 
without but very little, if any cost, and but little labor, much 
less than it would take to furnish the same amount of food 
any other way. 

Blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, mullberries, dew- 
berries, strawberries and grapes spring up everywhere; 'oer 
timber and prairies spontaneous, and without care or culti- 
vation, together with crab apples, beautiful red plumbs hang- 
ing over "the road sides, laden with free fruit; all of these 
grow without the aid of riian, and offer themselves without 
price to those who may be in need of their nutriment, or 
willing to gather them. This year, to the writers knowledge, 
blackberries sold for ten cents a gallon, picked and ready for 
canning. This may give the reader a slight idea how cheap 
our people can live, and that with the luxuries of life. The 
timbers are literally lined with all kind of nutritious nuts, 
furnishing a pleasant as well as profitable amusement for boys, 
as a ten-yea,r-old boy can gather enough of these nuts to buy 
his winter clothing,' aside from the great advantages these 
natural luxuries of nuts and fruits afford. There is no in- 



17 

dustry that will insure the owner or speculator a greater re- 
ward in compensation for his money and labor, than the 
enterprise of raising fruit for sale. Our advantages to many 
large cities, within 11 hours ride of Chicago; and even situ- 
ated in the central portion of the state as the writer is, you 
would then be within 11 hours of Chicago, only a few hours 
ride of St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Hannibal and 
Quincy, and numerous pther towns and cities within her 
borders, which always will create a demand for fruits, thus 
causing a good and ready market for the fruit grower. Let 
us make an estimate, which according to fruit raisers, is very 
low: Take 40 acres of land, that which is very rough 
is just as good, if not better than the smooth in this country 
where it is natural for trees to grow and do well; plant it with 
apple trees, 72 to the acre, puting 2880 trees on the 40 acres; 
after they once get to bearing they will average from 5 to 10 
bushels or more to the tree; but to be sure and safe, let us 
say 5 bushels, one year with another, as our apples are peri- 
odical in bearing e /ery other year large yields, but some crop 
every season; five bushels is a low estimate, but at this you 
would have 14,400 bushels of apples every fall to sell, and 
good winter apples always demand good prices, from 30 to 75 
cents per bushel; but we will compromise on the extremely 
low price of 40 cents a bushel; 14,400 bushels at 40 cents will 
net the handsome income of $5,760 annually, without team, 
without machinery, without verj^ much invested in land, 
without anything to do but let nature in her magnanimity ac- 
complish your living. The reader may think that I have 
purposly failed to say anything about the cost of getting and 
maintaining this orchard. The original cost is very little, as 
good trees can be bought for 8 and 10 cents, and if the right 
varieties, such as Ben Davis, Johnathan, MHnesap and other 
good saleable apples, which commence to bear early, and are 
sure bearers are selected, and are not too many early apples, 
you need not be afraid of the results; now as to the expense of 
keeping this orchard until bearing, will say that any man can 
not only make a living, but can store away some money be- 
sides from the money he can make out of small fruits, such 
as berries of all kinds, grapes and vegetables, cultivated in 
between the rows; and when trees get too large for this, they 
are a source of continual income, without further or but little 
more trouble. Wonderful! and one- who is not ac- 
customed to nature's grand outbursts, will fully realize the 
three sublime combinations Missouri has been blessed with; 
fruit in the air above the ground, blue grass for stock on the 
ground, and coal and other minerals beneath the ground. 
Thanks to nature's generosity. Where is the state tliat can 
boast of a better grape county than this ? Echo fails to 
answer. Growing in large quantities, and of the sweetest 
and best flavors, equaling those of the Golden State, although 
not so well advertised. But our apples, as to size, quality and 
quantity, stand without a rival. All the different varieties do 
remarkably well; the most common are the Ben Davis, John- 
athan, Winesap, Jeniting Willow-twig, Lavicr, Missouri 
Pipin, Yellow Bellflower, Northern Spy, Early Harvest s\yeet 
apples, and a host of others space will not permit nentioning. 
Pears, like apples, can not be excelled by any other country, 
not even California, as to flavor. Peaches have always done 



18 

well here, but in some parts of the state they have not done 
so well for the last five or six years. The tame plumbs are 
simply excellent, the wild goose taking the lead, followed by 
the weaver and green-gage, etc. Fine crab apples and all the 
tame small berries, strawberries, currants, blackberries, rasp- 
berries, gooseberries, dewberries, etc., like their wild sisters, 
naturally take to the soil, and are so wiselj^ arranged so that 
no two ripen at the same time, constituting one of the finest 
combinations of fruits ever catalogued by nurseryman, or 
witnessed by man. 



5i(T)ber. 



While Missouri is not so thickly timbered as some other 
states, yet her resources in this regard are very great indeed, 
in fact she could not be greater Avithout infringing on the ter- 
ritory of agriculture. The land lying north of the Missouri 
river is about one- fourth timber, while that lying south of the 
river is one-half or more, consisting of very large trees. It 
would be extremely difficult to give a close estimate of the 
exact amount of timber, as it is interspersed all over the 
prairies, up and down the small streams in great quantities, 
being of rapid growth. What a few years ago seemed to be 
little bushes are now towering trees, furnishing for all prac- 
tical purposes an everlasting supply, comparatively free for 
fuel, wood selling by the cord from $1.50 to $2.50. Over this 
area are to be found almost infinite varieties of hard and soft 
timber, the most frequent species are the hickory, walnut, 
oak, maple, locust, pine, sycamore and cypress, some of which 
have measured 43 feet around and 65 to 125 feet high. Of 
these different species each has a great many varities. The 
oak family being divided into seventeen or eighteen different 
kinds, hickory six, four of maple, four of gums and three of 
walnuts. Our fine forests promise all that is necessary to the 
manufactories. No one fully knows or appreciates the value 
of timber until once deprived of it. Like the citizens of the 
bald, barren, treeless plains, where it takes them the greater 
part of the season to make enough to buy fuel to keep the 
little ones warm and protected from the blizzards, of which 
we know nothing or at least those who have never left their 
warm bright cheerful firesides, to witness the torture and 
suffering of their western brothers. If you knew these bitter 
facts as well as those who have been persuaded and compelled 
to exist under them, you then would shout with joy, blessed 
be our timber and glowing firesides, Avhere the little ones 
know not what it is to be hungry or cold, nor where the 
father is compelled to buy a stake in order to tie his cow and 
calf lo, but on the contrary when he wants to build a barn or 
a granary, or a pig pen, or a cow pasture, or fix a broken 
plow, or ax handle or any other thing pei'taining to farming, 
he does so, by going into his pasture and selecting from 
natures store house the desired material without money and 
without price and but very little labor. Six thousand feet of 
lumber has been cut off one acre, leaving the smaller growth 
to multiply and replenish their vacancies. To prove the su- 
perabundanca of valuable timber I need only call your atten- 
tion to the fact that many a farm has been fenced with rails 
made out of fine walnut trees, which if were near a manu- 
facturing establishment would actually sell for more money 



19 

than the fai'm would. No finer furniture ever adorned our 
fancy homes and mansions than that which was sawed from 
our own beautiful cherry, ash, maple, oak, hickory, walnut 
and other valuable commercial timber, which the skill of man 
makes so valuable to the cultured and civilized world. The 
great value of our timber in the manufacturing of all fine 
furniture and all kinds of machinery has always been under- 
estimated until within the last few years. Manufacturers 
have been sending here their special agents for the purpose 
of buying up the valuable timber and in many cases looking 
up favorable locations for establishing home manufactories 
and making the implements where the raw material is grown 
saving double cost of shipping the lumber to and material 
back to its native place. Truly Missouri has been blessed 
with great and valuable timber, all that behooves a great 
state to have, that has everything else in proi^ortion, either 
for the foreign mai'kets or home consumption. 



/r\i9eral5. 



Missouri has a rich deposit of all the minerals used in the 
principal manufactories and owing to her very wide spread 
and inexhaustible coal fields she is among the first and best 
prepared states for the converting of the raw material into 
condition for commercial use. 

COAL. 

The coal fields cover a broader territory than any other 
deposit; it underlies an area of 26,000 square miles. Every 
county has more or less coal, sufficient to supply the demand 
for ages yet to come. The winter has seen it crop out in 
veins of 4 feet along the hill sides. The coal mines of Mis- 
souri are very easily worked and usually don't require any 
very deep shafts or costly machinery for hoisting, etc. Coal 
sells from 5 to 8 cents per bushel, being so very cheap that 
some farmers buy in preference to cutting their timber. 
Compare our coal supply to that of some of the northwestern 
and western states, where they burn corn, twisted hay, buffalo 
chips and dried sunflowers to temper the cold winter blasts 
which whistle over the fiat prairies chilling the very life 
blood as they pass and see if you don't decide with the writer 
that for real pleasure and comfort, and that is all we get out 
of life, that one acre of our land is worth four of theirs, which 
has fuel neither above nor beneath the ground and crops are 
uncertain. 

IRON. 

The iron beds of Missouri have already given her a wide 
world reputation. Tliis valuable metal is destined to make a 
bright future fur the state. A celebrated mining engineer 
after thoroughh^ investigating said: "They have enough ore 
in Missouri to run one hundred furnaces one thousand years, 
more could not be desired without the appearance of too 
much solicitude for prosperity, who would be too far removed 
to appreciate our good wishes." Simmon's mountain, Shep- 
herd's mountain, Iron mountain and thousands of others of 
less importance will supply the forgers for all time to come 
and will be one of the grandest workshops in the world. 
This concentration of so rich a deposit in a limited space, 
surrounded by a fine agricultural country, backed by unlimit- 



20 

ed supplies of coal, timber and water, three very important 
corner stones taken together with its healthy location and 
where the employes can live very cheap, with good trans- 
porting facilities and the wide world for a market. Are we 
wrong when we prophesy a great future for a state so richly 
endowed; only in their infancy, yet next in importance to 
agriculture are the iron manufacturies and other industries 
growing out of them. Hundreds of thousands of tons of ore 
are shipped oiit annually to Pennsylvania after being con- 
verted into steel, etc., to be returned because our mills are 
unable to supply the demandj although St. Louis is the third 
manufacturing city in the Union, with prosj)ects assuring her 
second in a short time. 

LEAD. 

It is generally conceded that there is no country in the 
world that contains within her walls sojmuch lead as the state 
of Missouri. The extent of her deposits are not fully known, 
as it occurs in lodes and veins. Enough knowledge of its 
depth and thickness is known, however, to show that the 
range and quantity excels any other lead country on earth. 
Next to iron, lead is the most valuable mineral we have. 
Lead, like coal^ has been found close to the top, enabling 
farmers to mine it during the winter. Shafts sunk in the 
magnesium limestone, however, find better deposits; she is 
distributed over a greater field than the iron mines. For a 
number of years past Missouri has furnished more than half 
the lead production of the United States; thus making one of 
the great commercial industries of the state. In south west 
Missouri $(50,000 has been refused for a single acre lot, owing 
to the value of this deposit. 

ZINC. 

It may not be known that Missouri furnishes nearly three - 
fourths of the zinc consumed in the United States— yet it is 
true. There are single acre lots which have produced in 
royalties $100,000, without expense to owner. The mining 
interest, although just fairly opened, exceeds $2,000,000, an- 
nually. 

GRANITE AND OTHER MINERALS. 

There is scarcely any kind of minerals which cannot be 
found locked up in the mountains and hills of Missouri. The 
granite of this state is equal to any in the world. The finest 
structures in St. Louis or Kansas City are built of granite and 
sand stone taken from their own state. Fire-clays are found 
under a great portion of the state. Large quantities of glass 
are manufactured from kaoline deposits found here. Zinc, 
nickle, monganese, cobalt and paints are found in paying- 
quantities. 

With the foregoing facts existing, how can Missouri be 
prevented from becoming the best state in the union. It will 
not be necessary to comment on the adaptability of Missouri 
as a manufacturing state, further than to say that any coun- 
try where agriculture and manufactories are carried on in 
equal proportion, she will prosper way beyond the state that 
can only have the one. What has made the New England 
states their wealth, is their manufacturies ; although without 
raising the raw materials or having near as good agricultural 
land, they have become immensely rich. Does any sober 
thinking man doubt but what Missouri can, and will, become 



21 

tlio state of the union. With rich land, coal, iron, lead, zinc, 
copper, granite, salt, kaoline,tin, cobalt and paint; fine stock 
of all kinds, abundance of grain, grasses, timber, water, 
fruits of all kinds, forming the grandest combiantion on the 
globe. 



Sf^e people. 



The people, their habits and intelligence, form a very 
important factor in one's decision in selecting a home, and 
well it should. A country may be ever so good, but v/ithout 
proper society it would be a very inappropriate place to 
raise a family. Those who are ignorant and uninformed or 
prejudiced upon a subject, ought not to express their opinion; 
if so, it ought not to have any influence over the intfelligent 
and more reasonable class. Nevertheless it sometimes does 
have a detrimental effect; as is the case with our people and 
state. There never was a state or body of people more 
grossly maligned and purposly misrepresented than ours.. 

But to those who are intelligent and fairly informed by 
observation and travel through the different states, east, 
west, north and south, cannot but agree with the writer that, 
for good, intelligent, culture, refinement, honor, nobility, 
purity and peaceful, law abiding citizens, Missouri cannot be 
surpassed by any state in the union. I am well aware of the 
prejudice which existed before and during the late war, ow- 
ing to the fact that a few noted bandits who happened to be 
found just witliin the state lines, but committed most of their 
depredations in othes states, as they were afraid of the law, 
and the people of this state. Again, prejudice has been creat- 
ed by some of the leading newspapers for a political purpose, 
which does not exist now, as the state, especially the north- 
ern part, is equally divided. Again others have compared 
the mountainous districts of ya y"rs ago, with the present and 
surmise it to all be alike. But now, thanks be to justice, it is 
only the exposure of one's own ignorance to speak ill of 
our great state or her grand people who for industry, sobrie- 
ty and contentment, stand unparellelled in the world. 

The contentment of our people has often been comment- 
ed upon; the cause not being understood by foreigners, but 
to one who is familiar with the surroundings, fully appreci- 
ate that nature has done her part nobly, and if men are dis- 
sa.tisfied it is their fault. While nature has been very gener- 
ous, yet there is notliing to prevent men from using the 
same amount of energy as they do in a state less favorably 
located, where they are compelied to hustle to make a living, 
and in a great many cases barely do that, as in the west 
where their ambition is opposed by the heavy mortgages, 
not only on the farm, but chattel mortgages on their milch 
cows and work horses. They are not even allowed to kill 
one of their hogs as it is mortgaged. While in Missouri the 
average citizen never saw a chattel mortgage. For reasons 
why, see next chapter. 



<5f7Sap Ijui9(5. 



Although ours is the fifth state in the union, with her 
three million of people and her magnificent cities, we 
challenge the world to show us a county where the people live 
as comfortable and happy, enjoying all the luxuries and bless- 
ings that a cultured race could want, at so low a cost as in 
Missouri. A careful perusal of the previous pages will con- 
vince any responable person of the truthfulness of this asser- 
tion, however broad as it may at first seem. The little things 
of life are the most important. History Avill substantiate 
this solid fact, nevertheless the mass of people do not seem 
to realize or appreciate the consequences. It has been an 
old, but true saying, "take care of the dimes and the dollars 
will take care of themselves," also "a dollar saved is a dollar 
made;" this last adage accounts for, and explains why our 
people live so well, yet so cheap. Grand old nature comes to 
their rescue, and by her rich endowments enables us to save 
our dollars. Commencing with farming and agriculture, 
which are really the true foundations of all other pursuits, 
and one of the most honorable callings, and running all along 
the different trades and professions, you will discover that 
they are all assisted in saving through some one of the 
channels of wise nature. 

To any one who has ever built a house or any other kind 
of improvements, will agree that it usually cost more than at 
first expected. So it is with the improving of farms. The 
farmer who thinks he can go out on the broad plains because 
little things are cheap, and undertakes to improve a place, 
one or two things usually happens, the farm is either left 
partially improved, or with a bigger mortgage than two such 
farms would ever be able to redeem. But whe n the timber 
and material grown on or near the ground, and the farmer 
can improve his place during the days of fall and winter 
without bviying the material, thus saving "his dollars." It is 
he, who in a short time will have a finely improved farm, and 
never missing the time ; and when he goes home he finds his 
dinner cooked with wood that cost him no money; his plate 
is filled with delicious fruit his children picked without 
money; his glass is full of nature's best drink, which the cow 
obtained from nature's blue grass without money; his smoke 
house is full of the best beef and pork and mutton, fattened 
from nature's food without monej''; his cellar is overcrowded 
with cabbage, potatoes, turnips, onions, beets, pickles, toma- 
toes, sweet corn, beans, apples, pears, peaches, plums, 
berries, grapes, cux*rants, jams, jellies, preserves and honey, 
all produced on his own place and without money. Leaving 
practically nothing, except a little sugar and coffee to buy, 
and there is always a surplus raised of other products to 
send to market ancl over pay for the little household things 
needed; thus actually living the year 'round "on the fat of the 
land" in the best of style Avithout money, and without price. 
Were we not right when v/e offered a challenge to the world 
to show a county equal to ours, located in the center of 
America, in center of the United States, in the center of 
commerce, and figuratively speaking, in the center of 



23 

Paradise. Compare this to the Northern, Eastern and South- 
ern States where only a part do well, the rest ai'e to buy, and 
especially the West, where to my knowledge men labor hard 
all summer to get enough to buy fuel with for the bleak bliz- 
zard winters. Just think of the constant call for money in- 
stead of having something to sell every time you go to town, 
you have to buy; even have to buy a stake to tie your calf to. 
No wonder your horses, hogs, cattle and bed clothes are 
mortgaged, perhaps the second time, and it is no wonder why 
it is the average Missourian never saw a chattel mortgage. 
Grand old Missoui'i, notwithstanding she has three million of 
people, she has more than room for that inany more. Come 
to Missouri. 

CIqq Qoupty apd f^i^r Surrou9di9(^5. 

What is true about North Missouri is certainly true about 
Linn and adjoining counties, for she is one of Missouri's 
favorites. But it is not the writers intention to select any 
one county and praise it alone. Missouri has many line 
counties, but will devote more space to this as it is my home. 
Linn county is located exactly in the center of North Missou- 
ri, being equal distance from Hannibal to St. Joseph, bounded 
on the north by Sullivan, east by Macon, south by Chariton 
and west by Livingston, cornering with Grundy on the north- 
west, Adair on northeast and close to Carroll and Randolph 
on southwest and southeast. What has been written in the 
previous chapters concerning climate, soil, agriculture, pro- 
ductions, natural advantages, tame grasses, corn, fruit, etc., 
Avas written more specially in referencie to this section of the 
country, hence it will not be necessary to give more than 
general outlines of the county. 

Twenty-seven miles from east to west and twenty-three 
miles from north to south, constituting Oil square miles or 
392,080 acres, of as rich and productive land as in any county 
in the state, consisting of black loam, rich prairie soil inter- 
spersed with running streams and belts of line timber, th(?Se 
streams run from north to south and are about two miles 
apart, furnishing most exquisite stock water, as we have 
abundant of rain ail the year, averaging 45 inches annually, 
the timbered soil being naore of a clay soil, that is the clay 
subsoil is near the top, niaking a bettar body to the land and 
exti'emely productive. To one accustomed to a level, flat 
country this might at first seem in some parts of the country 
to be very broken, but it is not. For practical purposes it is 
as valuable as any of the more level land, producing if any 
difference, better grasses, especially blue grass. A close re- 
view of the following statistics estimated as closely as possi- 
ble for last and other years will convince the reader at once 
what a great country it is, both for farming and stock rais- 
ing. 15,200 head of horses, 3,000 mules, 70,400 head of cattle, 
60,000 sheep and 65,189 hogs. Agricultural products will 
amount to 3,100,000 bushels, of corn, 100,000 to 150,000 bushels, 
tons of tame hay, oats 400,000 bushels, wheat 140,000 bushels, 
rye 18,000 bushels, tobacco 200,000 pounds. Our annual ex- 
port of stock is 1,600 car loads, worth in home markets $1,- 



24 

653,000. Invariably there is a surplus of grain produced, 
giving the farmer some ready money. Truly this is a great 
stock raising country, to drive over the roads, view the herds 
of Short Horns, tlie Herefords and other thorougbreds fol- 
lowed by the Poland China and Bei'kshire hogs, accompanied 
in an adjoining field by imported horses and hot bloods, then 
you would join in the chorus and say with us, come to the 
land where labor receives its rich and sure reward, where 
man's ambitions are not wrecked upon the rocky headlands 
of agricultural failures; come to grand old Missouri, then you 
can sing with earnestness the old familiar song, "I once was 
lost but now am found, was blind but now I see." A picture 
of thrift, where is there a grander picture of nature than is 
shown in this and adjoining counties where the average 
farmer has his bank account, is worth from five to fifty thou- 
sand and some worth half a million; quite a common occur- 
rence to see farmers worth ten, fifteen and twenty thousand, 
surrounded with their beautiful herds of cattle, horses, sheep 
and hogs wading through and feasting off of natures sweetest 
and best blue grass summer and winter, underneath the trees 
in hot weather and sheltered by them in winter they con- 
tinue to grow and multiply, without want, without worry. 
Behold the picture! It is grand and wonderful; it is perfec- 
tion in the highest type and above all it is true. 



F{ail F{oad5. 



Linn county is well supplied with railroads, posessing 4 
of the trunk lines, Hannibal & St. Joseph passing through 
from east to west; Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City, from 
north to south; Santa Fe, from soutwest to northeast, and St. 
Louis & Omaha, through corner, furnishing directs routes to 
Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Quincy and all 
other important points, for shipping stock and general 
products, and the return of of goods and implements, which 
doubtless will in the near future be manufactured at home, as 
we have all the material necessary for a great manufacturing 
center, which will increase our wealth ten fold or more. 
When a county produces all the raw materal, backed by the 
finest agricultui-al country on the earth, with timber, ever- 
lasting water, inexhaustible coal and unlimited beds of rich 
minerals, there can not be but one thing in store for her 
future, and that is bright, glittering success stamped upon 
her flag, with bold indellible letters never to be obliterated, 
but made In-ighter like silverware, by the rubs people may 
choose to give her. Our colleges and schools and churches 
are not to be surpassed by any county or state; 99 public 
schools and 8 graded. 39,003 people in oui* county of intelli- 
gence, hospitality, appreciativeness and kindness are ready 
and willing for comparison to any state, without fear of the 
decision. Her cities and towns, like the county present a 
picture of thrift and success, merchants all doing well; every 
year adds more to their capital stock, until in many cases 
they have become mammoth. 

The best of wages are paid for teachers, and schools in 
all parts of the county run from 8 to 9 months of the year. 



furnishing ample apartments for the best of practical busi- 
ness education, and that free; no state has a grander system 
of schools than ours, and Linn county stands abreast with 
any of her sister counties: our higher schools and colleges 
are generally admitted to oe equal to any ot those in Eastern 
States, and far superior to a great many in the West. This 
is not only so in one branch, but in all the different sciences 
and arts, including theology, medicine, law and business, and 
above all, they are especially taught on a business practical 
basis, cutting out all of the unnecessary studies which are of 
no value after learned. Our churches are equally as numer- 
ous as our schools, not only in all of our towns and villages 
are the different denominations, but they are also preached 
at the churches scattered all over the county, including 
Methodist, Baptist, Christian, Presbyterian, Congregational, 
Episcopaliau, Catholic, Lutherian, German, and other organ- 
izations, furnishing sufficient variety to please all who may 
be religiously inclined. Constituting a social feature alone, 
very attractive to one who has a family to raise and educate. 
While the society is a very important thing to be considered 
in the selection of a home, it is only one of three principals, 
the home seeker requires society, climate and soil, of which 
combination Linn county offers to those who are willing and 
desirous to find such homes, offering the best inducements 
for farming, horticulture and stock raising. About 200,000 
barrels of apples are shipped out of this county annually, 
and all other fruits in proportion, furnishing excellent oppor- 
tunities for fruit growers to have a handsome income from a 
very small amount of capital invested; this is one among the 
best paying businesses in the county; the clover produced on 
the ground between the trees will fatten enovigh hogs to pay 
all expenses during the year, and so long as the people live, 
and our large cities exist, the hunger of millions of people 
must be supplied, which will alwaj'^s furnish growers good 
markets. 

Stock raising is unanimous among Linn county farmers. 
Take for example, a farmer who starts with a few mares, it 
will not take long to increase to say as many as fifty. They 
will breed fifty mule colts every year; after 2 years he will 
have 50 two-year-old mules for sale each succeeding year; 
they are always a cash sale at $100 apiece, this would make an 
annual income of $5,000, and from Avhence does it come ? not 
from mental strain, toil or labor, plowing or reaping, but 
from growing, multiplping stock, watered by the clouds of 
heaven, fed by the unperishable grass soils and sheltered by 
the beautiful groves towering in the air. This is not an 
imaginary vision formed in a moment of excitement, but a 
solid, glittering reality. Cattle, hogs and sheep profit a man 
equally as much. 

Linn county is all underlaid with coal veins from 2 to 4 
feet croping out in places near the top of the ground. There 
are six coal mines in different parts of the county, furnishing 
coal at 8 cents a bushel, which makes fuel the same as free. 
Timber abounds all over the county, not in large bodies but 
bordering along the streams, branching out onto the prairies 
occasionally, seemingly for the good of farmers. Compare 
the farmer who lives, where when he goes to town, he is 



26 

compelled to take money to buy what extras he needs and 
for fuel which some corporation has a corner on and com- 
pels him to pay fanc}'- })rices or freeze or burn corn. With 
the farmer who lives in a state like this that when he goes to 
town always takes enough vegetables, fruits or other pro- 
ducts to buy the luxuries with or making a deposit in bank 
instead of trying to raise interest money. View the two and 
you will no longer wonder why one has his pigs and chickens 
"mortgaged while the other is flourishing. 



(^i(:ie$ ar}d Sou/175. 



Linn coixnby has 17 cities and towns, as follows: Brook - 
field, Linneus, Mareeline, Bdcklin, St. Catherine, Laclede, 
New Boston, Enterprise, North Salem, Shelby, Purdin, 
Browning, Granfc3ville, Eversonville, Meadville, Sebago, 
Fountain Grove. Brook field is a city of five thousand inhab- 
itants; located near the center of the county, in the southern 
portion. Bemg the division of the Hannibal & St. Joseph 
railroad, most of the employes reside here, and the machine 
shops and round house furnish employment for a large num- 
ber of men. The monthly pay car pays out §21,000, which 
shifts from one to the other causing a glow of good feeling 
among our citizens, and making her one of the best business 
towns of her population, of any town in the state. She has 
electric lights, water works, six fine school buildings equip- 
ped with all advantages i^ossible. Oar college is equal to 
any in the stata, as pupils are here from all over the state. 
We have eight different churches, of modern build, besides 
other denominations hold their meetings. Four commodi- 
ous hotels, the largest is the Clarke, built at a cost of $40,000, 
the others are all good building and are successfully carried 
on. Large milling interest turning out the very best grade 
of flour. 

Linneul is the county seat, while two terms of the circuit 
court is held at Brookfield. All the other towns of the county 
show a splendid record of business. Fortunately they have 
never been overdone by the boomer, but their appearance is 
indicative of their past growth and brilliant future. They 
have been built upon solid business bases, and not like some 
of the western cities — boomed to death. 

The county is free from debt; taxes ai*c low, and every- 
one seems to be in a flourishing condition. Among the many 
good things we can truthfully state about our county, we 
wish to refer to one which is not so favorable, and that is 
our public roads; in the past they have been very badly 
neglected, making it at least unpleasant to travel, but our 
farmer have one great consolation, and that is, it is much 
better to go over poor roads with something to haul than to 
go over smooth roads v/ith an empty wagon. 

U/f^y Do Jf^ey U/a^t: to ^Sl^ai^i^i^. 

After reading the foregoing facts, some people will nat- 
urally ask, " why do they want to sell or change to another 



27 

place ? " This is very often asked of any one, it matters not 
from where they came. In answer to this question, will say: 

1. That a great many people have a natural disposition 
to become restless, and want to get into some other business. 
For example, look at the number of trades in large cities, 
where property is of the best, and rents so as to give owners 
a nice profit on his investment. Yet they continue exchang- 
ing, and so it is in all buisnesses. 

2. Because some in following the advice of the lamen*-ed 
Greely, want to " go west to grow up with the country," and 
in many cases have no other reason except that. Again, 
others have special reasons for making a trade or selling 
their land. Sometimes they may want to move nearer their 
relatives, or want to quit farming, or get a larger or smaller 
tract of land, and various other reasons which are of no im- 
portance to the one who desirs to purchase or deal. People 
can, and often do, make trades where both parties are better 
situated, and are well pleased with their exchange. The ob- 
ject ef this Company is to assist all parties who desire to 
make a change in any state. 



J^ovu U/(^ Op(^rat(^. 



When we offer a piece of property for trade or sale we 
first either go personally or send some strictly reliab le per- 
son to carefully examine it and take a correct plat, one that 
we can vouch for and see that the title is sbi'aight, for we 
positively will not deal with any property which is not all 
right in every particular. By this meihod of careful dealing 
we not only give entire satisfaction to our customers but con- 
tinue to increase our business, as men lit^e to do business 
with reliable parties. One misrepresentation in a county 
would prevent further dealing, hence it is not only just and 
right to deal honestly but it is also good policy as common 
sense teaches any one that the more deeds that are made the 
greater the commissions, and an extensive business cannot 
be carried on successfully except on a correct basis. Having 
had an extensive acquaintance in tliis and aajoining states 
and handled thovisands and thousands of acres of land during 
a numl)er of y^ars, we venture to say that we can suit the 
most fastidious home seekers. After sending a description 
of a place we will deposit the necessary money to come and 
investigate it and if it is not as we say then we will pay all 
expenses, if deal is made we will pay railroad fares and hotel 
bills. We are always glad to show property whether deal is 
made or not. To save further correspondence in writing us 
state jilainly what you desire and answer the following ques- 
tions: 

Number of- acres of land, how many acres bottom and 
second bo<^tom, whether it is flat, rolling or rough, the kind 
of soil and subsoil, where is it located, how near a town or a 
railroad station and a school Iwuse, number of acres fenced, 
number of acres in cultivation, in tame and wild grass and in 
timber and what Icind of timber, how long in cultivation, 
what kind of fences and how many fields enclosed, number 
of trees in orchard and kind, how is it watered, give full de- 







-^\v^' ill'' .i//-^ 
RESIDENCE OF R. J. WHEELER. 



29 

scription ofghouse, size and when built and of what material, 
mention cisterns and cellar, give sonic details about barn and 
other improvements, state exact dimensions and condition? 
By doing this we can at once form an idea of your j^lace and 
tell whether or not a deal can bo fouiid to suit. We will 
further say that in every town and country there exists a 
class of people who through ignorance or prejudice or a 
natural disposition to harm some one else are always ready 
to cast a slur at a person or a country, fortunately they are 
few and men of reason and stability never take notice to 
their actions but use common sense and are governed by 
their own judgment. Where a, man lives is the 
best place to go to find out whether or not he is reliable, 
and as the pamphlets will reach i)arties who are entire 
strangers to us, and our mode of operating, I triist it will be 
pardonable for inserting some pertional letters given the 
writer, as he will be responsible for all business transacted 
through the company. The following are the letters written 
by Judge W. H. Brownlee, president of the Linn County 
Bank, Judge John Ford, cashier of Bank of Br ooktield. Dr. 
Pettijohn, maj'or of Brookfield, and Chas. V/. Green, editor 
of the Brookfield Argus; 

BitoukFiELD, Mo., Oct. 18, 1889. 

Dr. O. C. Trice, the bearer of this letter has been a 
resident of this city for several years. He is a successful 
physician and business man, and in all the relatio ns toward 
his fellow citizens, stands high, and I cordially r ecommend 
him to all whom he dosirj.j to know, as an honorable gentle- 
man. Such we have a,lv/ay3 found him. Respectfully, 

W. H. Brownlee. 
Brookfield, Mo., Oct. 19, 1889. 

To any one interested: — I take pleasure in stating that I 
have well and favorably known t!ie bearer, Dr. O. 0. Trice, 
for the past seven years, during v/hich time he has been a 
customer of this bank. During all my business relation.! with 
the doctor, I have alway.s found hisn lionest, straightforward 
and upright, and bears the repubatiou of being such in this 
city. Respectfully, 

John Ford. 
Brookfield, Mo., Oct. 18, 1889. 

To whom it may concern: — The bearer. Dr. O. C. Trice, 
has been a resident of this city for the past seven years, and 
bears an honorable reputation as a physician, and a success- 
ful man of business. From an intimate acquaintance, I can 
recommend him tj all pardonj as a gentleman worthy of 
confidence and esteem. A. C. Pettijohn, M. D. 

Brookfield, Mo., Oct. 22, 1889. 

To any one who desires to do business with Dr. O. C. 
Trice. I can say that I iiave Icnown him for a number of years, 
and always found him to be true; his word is as good as a 
bond. He is an expert business man, and is generally con- 
sidered one of the best business men in this part of the state. 
All who do business with him become his friend. I un- 
hesitatingl recommend him as a safe man to trust business 
with. Okas. W. Green. 

The following is only a jKivtial I'st of farms we have for 
sale and exchange. We will not give descriptions in full, but 



30 

only msntion prices, and to those who may desire fnll par- 
ticulars, can obtain them by writing us, and then we will for- 
ward a plat and complete description. Prices vary from 
twenty to fifty dollars, owing t,o location and improvements: 

1,200 acres within one mile railroad town. One half in 
cultivation, rest in blue grass pasture, fenced and cross 
fenced; water and timber; good buildings; fine stock and 
grain farm, to exchange for smaller farm. 

540 acres within one mile of a town of five thousand in- 
habitants; all highljr improved; all in cultivation; rich prairie 
land in the choicest part of the country. The improvements 
are among the best in the state. For sale. 

480 acres vfithin two and one-half miles of a large town; 
separated into three farms bj^ public roads; all fenced and in 
cultivation, except the timber; a creek running tlirough one 
160; orchards and other good improvements; houses on each 
farm, making a convenient place for three parties to com- 
bine and buy. 

400 acres, three miles of a small town; ten miles from 
railroad; all fenced; two hundred acres smoothe land, with 
house and other buildings; two hundred acres of rolling tim- 
bered land. 

320 acres, four miles or a fine town and six miles of two 
other towns; all fenced and crossed fenced into seven fields; 
160 acres of rich bottom land; 60 acres of timber; house of 
ten rooms; fine orchard; creek running through one 40; all 
rich black loam; land and evey thing in fine shape; for ex- 
change. 

260 acres within one and one-half mile of a good town of 
two railroads and two miles of another town ; all rich bottom 
land; fenced into five fields; three small houses; twenty 
acres of timber; well watered; a very desirable farm, con- 
veniently located; for exchange. 

160 acres within two miles of a large town; well improv- 
ed; all nice land; fenced and crossed fenced; fine orchard of 
all kinds of fruit; a fancy farm. Also three other farms of 
160 acres each, but farther from town. For sale and exchange. 

90 acres of ricli land within nine miles of railroad town; 
all In cultivation and well improved; ten acres of timber; 
exchange for larger farm. 

120 acres; 60 acres: 110 acres, all improved and for ex- 
change for larger farms. 

We have a great many 40, 80 and 100 acre tracks; owners 
desire to trade for more land, where land is cheaper. Write 
for what you want and we will suit you. 

Address all letters to 

O. C. TRICE & CO., Brookfield, Mo. 
Or to our branch office, El Dorado, Kans. 




CLARKE HOTEL. 



BROOKFIELD COLLEGE. 




IF YOU WANT 

CLIMATE, HEALTH, 

FINE 

BLUE GRASS PASTURES 

UNSURPASSED 

FARMING LANDS, 

EXCELLENT FRUITS, 

SPLENDID TIMBER AND 

WATER; 

INEXHAUSTIBLE 

BEDS OF COAL, IRON, 

ZINC, LEAD, KAOLINE, 

NICKEL AND TIN; 

MARBLE, GRANITE, 

STONE, PAINTS, 

PEACE & PROSPERITY, 

COME TO MISSOURI 





LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 495 664 3 



